Lu Xuan is an author about whom very little is publicly known: his native place, dates of birth and death, and educational background are all unrecorded, and the only work confirmed to be his is a single title, Ren Shen Pu (A Treatise on Ginseng). Classified under medicine, the book is devoted to ginseng, a traditional medicinal substance, and belongs to the tradition of specialized monographs within Chinese materia medica. Its subject matter indicates an interest in identifying drugs and describing their effects, with a style that appears to rely on factual record and textual research rather than general discussion, focusing on the physical properties of the substance. Because the book circulated narrowly and sources are scarce, Lu Xuan has long remained obscure, his reputation resting mainly on this work, which offers later readers a reference text on early knowledge of ginseng and gives him a modest place in specialized pharmacological writing.
